Well that didn't last long: Army already talking of changing the new PT test

The tough new Army Physical Readiness Test may be getting tougher as officials con*sider three key changes: ■ The addition of dead-hang pull-ups — perhaps to replace push-ups.

■ Doubling the rower from one to two minute.

■ R eturning to a two-mile run.

The changes result from an analysis of statistical data and comments from the rank and file, said Maj. Gen. Richard Longo, deputy commanding general of Initial Mili*tary Training at Training and Doctrine Command.

The Army Physical Fitness School, which played a key role in designing the new test, has completed 8,000 of 10,000 initial tests that will build the test’s scoring scales. But the effort “is not just number crunching,” Longo said. “We are listening to some incred*ibly insightful soldiers and leaders and col*lecting new and good ideas on the test.” And the introduction of pull-ups is at the top of that list.

Replacing push-ups with dead-hang pull*ups was among the first things considered when officials began to develop the new test.

The problem with pull-ups is twofold. First is the cost of equipment. Many units have pull-up bars, but not all. However, pull-ups are a part of the now*required Physical Readiness Training pro*gram, so this point may be moot.

Second, officials are adamant that the new test remain gender neutral, with iden*tical events for men and women. There will be different scoring standards based on physiological differences, but female sol*diers would be required to do dead-hang pull-ups.

“The average [for women] might be three or four pull-ups,” Longo said. “Excellent might be seven. Poor might be one. So that means each additional pull-up might be worth 25 points. I don’t know if that’s what we want.” The initial answer was to introduce new standards for push-ups. They are tougher and better replicate the motion of a soldier pushing someone away to get position of dominance or pushing himself up from a prone position. But soldiers at all ranks have said they want pull-ups added, and Longo said he agrees with them because the exercise is “a better measure of that which we ask our soldiers to do in combat.” Longo is including pull-ups when thou*sands of soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas, take the new test Sept. 13-20.

The Marine Corps also is considering an overhaul of its Physical Fitness Test that would require women to do pull-ups to obtain a perfect score. A June 17 plan rec*ommends that women be allowed to score up to 70 points for maintaining the existing flexed-arm hang for 70 seconds. They would need to do pull-ups to make up the remain*ing 30 points. Another option under consid*eration is to give 75 points for one pull-up with five points awarded for each additional pull-up. A perfect score would be obtained with six pull-ups.

Male Marines are given five points for each pull-up, with a minimum requirement of three. They can get a maximum of 100 points with 20 dead hangs.

A second change that will be tested at Fort Bliss is doubling the rower from one to two minutes.

The rower has a very steep bell curve and there is not a lot of variation, Longo said. Officials want to know if extending the rower to two minutes can better measure the difference between a soldier with good overall body fitness and one who can bust out a high number in one minute, but is spent afterward.

Most soldiers average 36-37 rowers in one minute, based on age and gender. In the current test, male trainees at Fort Jackson, S.C., average 62 sit-ups in two minutes, while female trainees average 61, according to Army data.

The third possible change — keeping the run at two miles instead of the new 1.5-mile distance — will not be tested at Fort Bliss because the Army already has ample data, Longo said.

So we'll see if this does get implemented by next October. I mean it was supposed to be October 2011; then it was October 2012...now they're changing around the events - which I like there was no mention of the long jump or shuttle sprint. But with the only people wanting to keep 2 miles is commanders...I don't know. Guess we'll have to see.

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Re: Well that didn't last long: Army already talking of changing the new PT test

I still think we should move to a 5 mile. But that will never happen.

Adding pull ups would be a great change to the PT test. Pull ups are a very good exercise that recruits a lot of muscle groups. It's a tough call though, because push ups are also a decent exercise for measuring fitness over multiple muscle groups. However, doing both push ups and pull ups in the same test would be a very rough go LOL! Seeing as how some muscle groups over lap with the two exercises. So with this in mind it will probably be one or the other.

I'm also not going to be sad if they nix the shuttle sprint and the long jump. Long jump? Really?!

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Re: Well that didn't last long: Army already talking of changing the new PT test

Just out of curiosity what exactly does the PT test consist of currently. You guys are saying getting rid of things such as the shuttle run and long jump as well as extending the length of the run and time on the rower. However the website only list push-ups, sit-ups, and a two mile run. I would like to practice the events that I will be required to complete and also be able to see where I stack up against Army standards. And please before anyone comes back with the generic comments of you should be doing full body work out or this or that I am, but that doesn't change wanting to put extra time in on the events that I will be tested on.

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Re: Well that didn't last long: Army already talking of changing the new PT test

re: a perfect PT test, a couple of years ago I did some research and the best test I found was the FBI test. They have a 400 meter sprint, a 1.5 mile run, pushups, situps and pullups, I think, I just remember it was more events than the Army, and there is a certain maximum of time between events, sounded very strenuous, but fair. It also made sense in that there is a minimum of equipment needed.